Candida albicans is a commensal that colonizes skin and mucosal surfaces. It is also an agent of opportunistic disease of these surfaces as well as internal disseminated disease. While infections of cutaneous and mucosal surfaces may be a cause of significant morbidity and affect millions of Americans annually, they are not life threatening as is disseminated disease. In the mid 1980's a growing number of researchers were attracted to the study of pathogenesis of disease. In response to the need for exchange of ideas among this group, the first ASM Conference on Candida and Candidiasis was held in 1987 with an attendance of about 115 participants. Since this time not only have the number of researchers grown but so have the number of patients with disease. Oral mucosal disease is unfortunately a nearly universal complication of AIDS and Candida has now become the fourth leading cause of nosocomial blood stream infections. In recent years there has been an emergence of azole resistant strains and increased frequency of non-albicans isolates, particularly those that are inherently drug resistant. The ASM Conference on Candida and Candidiasis, held every three years since 1987 and every 2 years since 2002, is the premier forum for researchers engaged in study of the biology, epidemiology, and pathogenesis of candidal infection. Accordingly, the 8th Conference will be held March 13-17, 2006 at the Hyatt Regency in Denver, CO. The goal of the 8th Conference is to continue to provide the forum to present the state of the art research and for investigators to meet and discuss their work informally. The Conference is expected to have 350-400 attendees and the presentation of 200-250 posters. The topics for the oral and/or poster sessions include: Environmental Sensing and Responses, Epidemiology and Evolution, Host Response and Disease Models, Host Niches and Microbial Communities, Anticandidal Agents, Cell Wall and Surface, and Cell Type and Shape. Speakers and attendees are expected to represent the international community of Candida researchers with both established and new investigators as well as students and trainees present. Many of the speakers, including students and trainees, will be selected from abstracts. NIH through various institutes and programs has generously supported many of the American presenters and attendees of this conference, as well as the conferences in recent years, and it is hoped that NIH will again join ASM and private sources in providing financial assistance for the 8th Conference in 2006. [unreadable] [unreadable]